Machine for holding and dispensing drinking cups



April 6, 1943. L. R. TANSLEY 2,315,827

MACHINE FOR HOLDING.AND DISPENSING DRINKING CUPS Filed an- 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l LE SLIE R-TANSLEY April 1943- L. R. TANLEY 2,315,827

MACHINE FOR HOLDING AND DISPENSING DRINKING CUPS Filed Jan. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 12 I I 14 14; l 15 15 J 25 39 l l I l I 40 25 i @/40 E7 51 :1 WWW :3: LESLIE R.TANSLEY Patented Apr. 6, 1943 MACHINE FOR HOLDING AND DISPENSING DRINKING CUPS Leslie R. Tansley, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to White Castle System, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, a

corporation of Delaware Application January 6, 1941, Serial No. 373,325

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus of the type employed for retaining and dispensing paper drinking cups or other similar light weight bodies capable of being maintained in a grouped order.

Paper drinking cups of the type employed in restaurants, and other public places, are usually arranged in nested order and positioned in dispensing containers so that the cups may be removed singly and successively from the container outlet. Paper cups of the formed cylindrical type, having folded or beaded upper edges, vary somewhat in diameter. In the ordinary dispensing machine, in which the nested cups are delivered by gravity for successive withdrawal of the lowermost of the cups from the machine outlet, it is not uncommon for a number of such cups to be withdrawn in a single operation when but one cup is desired, resulting in consequent wastage.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of the present invention to provide a dispensing machine for paper drinking cups wherein the outlet of the machine is provided with improved means for frictionally gripping the beaded edges of such cups to insure the withdrawal of but one cup from a nested group of cups with each manually executed operation.

It is another object to provide a dispensing machine for the purposes set forth wherein use is made of a plurality of pivotally movable cup engaging jaws, the latter having serrated faces which are arranged to grip the beaded upper edges of drinking cups so that when a cup is withdrawn by a manual operation from engagement with the jaws, the latter will be automatically moved into firm gripping engagement with the cup or cups disposed immediately above .the cup being withdrawn from the machine, preventing accidental withdrawal of two or more cups during a given operation.

A further object resides in the provision of improved means for efiecting the support of the pivoted cup gripping jaws so that the latter may be adjusted radially with respect to the vertical axis of the outlet of the dispensing machine and positively retained in such positions of radial adjustment, whereby to adapt the machine to cups-having substantial dififerences in diameter.

For a further understanding of the invention,

reference is to be had to the following description.

and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

a Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drinking cup dispensingmachine, formed in accordance with the presentinventionp..-

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, partly in front elevation, disclosing the construction of the cup dispensing outlet of the machine and its adjustable gripping jaws;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the machine outlet on the .plane indicated by the line 1IIIII of Fig. 2; i

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line IV--IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view disclosing one of the gripping jaws and its associated supporting arm.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereafter described in detail, the cup holding and dispensing machine comprises a cylindrical magazine Hi. This magazine is supported in a vertical position when the machine is in use, and has its lower end retained and supported within a socket H formed by an upstanding flange I2 of a cast securing bracket l3. The back of the bracket I3 is formed with Wall-engaging wings l4, which are apertured for the reception of securing devices l5, employed for attaching the machine to a vertical wall or other supporting base or surface. The top of the magazine is equipped with a removable cap l6, so that a plurality of paper drinking cups, of the type indicated at I1, may be .placed in nested order within the magazine and allowed to drop by gravity therethrough as the cups are successively Withdrawn through the outlet l8 provided at the bottom of the machine. A sight opening l9 is formed in the lower portion of the magazine ID, in order that the quantity of cups contained within the magazine at any given time may be approximately ascertained by exterior inspection. The drinking cups are of a standard type, being formed from paper or other light weight composition materials, and are of a pressed or formed design, embodying frustoconical side walls 20, closed bottom walls 2| and headed or folded drinking edges 22 at their upper ends. These cups are made in different sizes, the proportions of which vary with each manufacturer, and the machine comprising the present invention is adapted to conform to dimensional variations of these cups and to insure the delivery or withdrawal of but a single cup from the outlet of the machine with each manually executed operation.

' In the attainment of these ends, the bracket 13 is formed with an enlarged lower portion 23 which includes a depending circular flange 24.

Adjacent to this flange, and disposed at the sides of the nested cups arranged within the machine.

is a plurality of stationary posts 25, which are integrally formed with the bracket on the inside thereof. These posts receive stud bolts 26, upon which are fulcrumed for swinging movement in horizontal planes a plurality of jaw-carrying arms 21. The outer ends of these arms terminate in heads 28, which carry inwardly offset apertured ears 29. These ears are: received between the correspondingly apertured bifurcated ends 30 of a plurality of cup-gripping jaws 3|, pivoted pins 32 passing through the apertures provided in the ears 29 and the ends 30 so that the jaws will be pivotally mounted on the outer ends of the arms 2! for limited swinging movement in vertical planes. The heads 28 carry leaf springs 33, the free ends of which engage with vertical surfaces 34 at the back of each of the jaws 3|, so that the latter may be normally maintained in positions gripping and effecting the support of the nested body of drinking cups arranged within the, machine.

Preferably, the inner cup-engaging faces of the jaws 3i are notched or serrated, as at 35, such notches or serrations being so proportioned that the beaded edges 22 of the cups will be received. therein and efiectively supported by the jaws, until sufficient manual pressure is exerted on the cups to oscillate the jaws so that the lowermost of the cups, projecting through the bottom of the machine, may be disengaged from the jaws and removed from the machine for intended purposes. It will be noted that the mounting of the jaws 3| is such that when the latter are rocked from their normal positions,

against the influence of the springs the upper portions or the jaws move inwardly, so that while the lowermost cup may be readily removed, the cup or cups disposed immediately above the cupbeing withdrawn will be more firmly gripped bysaid jaws to prevent their withdrawal, thus assuring the delivery of but a single cup withveach withdrawing operation.

In. order to enable the machine to handle drinking cups of varying diameter, the jaw carrying arms 21 are radially movable with respect to the, vertical axis of the machine outlet by swinging about the bolts 26, so that the jaws 3i may be properly and appropriately spaced to cups of varying diameter. The adjustment of the arms 2'! and the maintenance of such ad,- justment are obtained by the provision of a ring shown at 35'. The upper offset end 31 of this ling engages with the circular flange 25 of the bracket l3, so that the ring may turn about the vertical axis of the machine. The outer surface of the flange 24 is annularly grooved, as at 38, for the reception of the reduced ends 39 of clamping screws 46, the latter being received within threaded openings provided in the upper end 31 of'the ring 3%. The screws dil serve to support the ring 38 in a swiveled order on the flange 2d and further, by tightening said screws, the ring will be positively maintained in its adjusted positions.

Internally, the ring 36 is provided with a plurality of cam-shaped projections M, which coact with outwardly directed lug extensions 42 proiecting from the heads28 of the arms 21-. The fulcrum bosses 43 of the arms 21, which surround the bolts 26, carry leaf springs 44, and the free ends of these springs engage with the circular inner surfaces of the ring 36 at positions above the cam projections 4|. The, springsdd serve to sitively maintain helu extensions 42:111.; contact with the vertical surfaces. ofthe. cam. pro

jections 4|, so that when the ring 36 is rotated, the arms 21 and their associated jaws 3| will be positively maintained in desired or fixed positions of adjustment best adapted for the particular size of drinking cup which is to be dispensed. Ordinarily, in the use of the machine, it is unnecessary to make frequent adjustments of the ring 38 and the arms 27, since. this is merely necessary when the size of the drinking cup to be dispensed is different from that previously dispensed. For minor variations in the size of such cups, the pivotal mounting of the jaws 3i readily compensates for such variations.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides a dispensing machine of simple, novel and efficient design having improved means for insuring the delivery of but a single cup from the outlet of the machine with each withdrawal operation, to the end of reducing Waste and saving costs, another important feature of the machine being the provision of means for adapting the machine to cups of differentv diameter.

While a preferred embodiment of the machine has, been illustrated and described in considerable detail, neverthelessv it will be understood that the same is. subject to mechanical modification or variation without departing from I the fundamental featuresthereof as, the latter have been defined in. the, following claims.-

What is claimed is:

1.. Inappar-atus for dispensing paper cups and the like, av cupretaining magazine having an outletin, the bottom thereof, a ring rotatably mounted in connection with the bottom of the magazine, arms pivoted to the bottom of the magazine for turning movement in horizontal planes, cup-engaging jaws, pivotally connected to, the outer ends of said arms, and. cam elements carried by said ring, said elements coacting with said arms to control the operative positions, of said arms and the jaws carried thereby in the, outlet of said magazine.

2. In a machine for dispensing paper cups and the like, a vertical magazine having; a cup outlet in the; bottom thereof, a plurality oi arms pivotally connected to the-bottom-ofsaid magazine and arranged adjacent to the sidesv of said tlet, aplur ty of upr pp j ws pi otally connected to the outer ends of said arms for swinging movement about substantially horizontally disposed. axes, the cup-engaging surfaces of said jaws being serrated for gripping engagement' with the; lowermost of the; cups positioned in said magazine, spring; means carried by said arms. and coacting with said jaws to, maintain the latter in a normal cup supporting position, and means carried bythe lower portion of said magazine, and coacting with said arms to. move the latter and the jaws, connected therewith.- into operating positions adapting said jaws. to the support of' cups, of differing diameters.

3.. Inxapparatus. for dispensing paper-cups and thelike, a stationary base h v n p ou l t. a; member adjustably mounted on said base, yieldable. cup supporting jaws, carried by said base, and means cooperative with said jaws and adjustable member tomove said supporting jaws radially with respect to said cup. outlet upon movement of said member to adapt the apparatus to cups, of; different sizes.

4. In paper cup dispensing apparatus, a base having a; cup outlet, a. plurality of; cupsupporting. jawsspaced circumferentially around said outlet, means for pivotallysupporting said jaws of cup supporting jaws mounted on said base,

and means for transmitting movement from said adjusting member to said cup supporting jaws whereby the latter will be moved into and out of said cup outlet upon rotary movement of said adjusting member.

6. In paper cup dispensing apparatus, a stationary base having a cup outlet, a plurality of arms connected at one end to said base for pivotal movement about axes disposed in parallel relation to the axis of said cup outlet, the free ends of said arms moving toward and away from said cup outlet upon pivotal movement of said arms, spring means normally tending to move said arms to swing the free ends away from said cup outlet, a cup supporting jaw carried by the free end of each arm, and means for simultaneously moving the arms in opposition to said spring means to vary the effective size of said cup outlet.

7. In paper cup dispensing apparatus, a base having a cup outlet, a plurality of cup supporting jaws spaced eircumferentially around said outlet, resilient means engaging said jaws to move portions thereof into said outlet to engage the rim of the lowermost of a stack of cups, and means pivotally connecting said jaws to said base, said pivot means being so mounted that withdrawal of said lowermost cup from the portions of said jaws engaged therewith will cause movement of other portions of said jaws into engagement with the rim of the next lowermost cup of the stack.

LESLIE R. TANSLEY. 

